Tag: Louisiana education

2,000 Louisiana Students to Receive Paid Job Training During Summer

The Louisiana Department of Education released some great news this month when they stated their plans to “expand its Jump Start Summers initiative, allowing nearly 2,000 high school students the opportunity to earn academic credit, engage in workplace-based learning and attain critical industry-based credentials, all while earning a wage, during the upcoming summer months. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) on Wednesday will vote to approve 46 new program providers across the state.”

“Workplace-based learning provides an unparalleled opportunity for students to master essential workplace behaviors and communication skills, while making their academic schoolwork more relevant,” said State Superintendent John White. “This is true for all students–those who are university-bound, as well as those who are career-focused.”

For more information on the Jump Start Summers Initiative, click here.

Louisiana High School Launches “Life Skills” Class for Seniors

 

In an article recently released by news station, WGNO, Edward Douglas White Catholic High School in Thibodeaux, LA is now adding a life skills class to their curriculum for seniors for an entire semester. As stated in the article, “These students are learning all about budgeting, writing checks, and overall how to be responsible with their future finances. “With like banking and taxes and stuff, there is a lot of extra stuff I have never considered,” says Philip Caldwell, a senior at E.D. White Catholic High School. The trend, is that these millennial are ready to strip that negative title, and basically kick some butt in life. They’re even learning how to jump start a car and how to change a flat tire.”

For more information on the new curriculum that has been added and to read the full article, click here.

Louisiana Department of Education Announces Graduates receiving TOPS Scholarships is at an All Time High

 

The Louisiana Department of Education released this article on April 10 stating that the number of Louisiana graduates receiving the academic TOPS scholarship is at an all-time high. The award, also known as Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), has been awarded to more than 19,200 graduates in the Class of 2017, up from 18,373 in 2016 and 16,289 in 2012.

According to the Louisiana Department of Education, TOPS is a program of state scholarships for Louisiana residents who attend either one of the Louisiana public colleges and universities, schools that are a part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Louisiana-approved proprietary and cosmetology schools, or institutions that are a part of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. There are four levels of TOPS awards, based on students’ American College Test (ACT) scores, grade-point averages and post-secondary pursuits. Those levels include Honors, Performance, Opportunity and Tech.

For more information on the TOPS increase in 2017, click here.

Louisiana’s Report Card System Draws National Praise

According to the Louisiana Department of Education, “Louisiana’s revamped report card system and a set of its key education initiatives have earned national praise from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). In recent weeks, the national non-profit organization has published two separate reports that hold up Louisiana as an exemplar for equipping families and educators with the tools and resources needed to promote school quality and ensure equity for all children.”

“Today, the national organization released “A School Finder to Empower: Case Study of Louisiana’s New School Report Card,” which details how Louisiana developed and implemented reporting tools to better meet the needs of families and educators, and outlines lessons learned to help other states that are redesigning their own accountability systems.”

For more information on the new report card system, click here.

Louisiana Awards $1.5 Million to Improve Early Childhood Education

 

Louisiana is doing big things to make a difference in the lives of their youth. Starting at the bottom, the Louisiana Department of Education awarded a $1.5 million grant funding the improvement of early childhood education and its quality. The eight communities affected by this grant include: Calcasieu, Concordia, Iberville, Jefferson, Orleans, Rapides, St. John the Baptist, and Tangipahoa parishes.

The Department of Education stated on their website, “The grant, a supplement to the federal Preschool Development Grant, will provide teachers at low-performing sites in eight communities with professional development designed to strengthen teacher-child interactions and classroom instruction and to improve kindergarten readiness.”

For more information on the funding, you can read the full article here.

Louisiana Department of Education Graduation Checklist

 

As we get close to the end of the school year for thousands of Louisiana seniors, the Louisiana Department of Education has a special section on their website that you can find here that will help seniors apply for financial aid. As stated on their website, “Most Louisiana high school graduates are eligible for some form of merit- or need-based financial aid. Students can apply for state and federal financial aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which can be used at four-year universities, two-year community colleges, and technical training programs. The FAFSA is used to determine the amount of money a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending a postsecondary institution, and the results of the FAFSA are used in determining student grants, work study, and educational loan amounts.”

If you are a senior and interested in finding out if you are eligible for financial aid, be sure to take a look at all you need to know about applying right here.